Karachi: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah announced that over 11,000 tax-related complaints were received this year, of which 94% were resolved promptly.

Speaking at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI),  KATI President Junaid Naqi, Senior Vice President Ijaz Ahmed Sheikh, Vice President Tariq Hussain, Standing Committee Chairman Tariq Malik, Former President Masood Naqi, FTO members including Almas Ali Jovinda, Dr. Faiz Elahi Memon, Faisal Muhammad Abrejo, Badruddin Ahmed Qureshi, Gul Rehman, Abid Mahmood and Shahid Nawaz and industrialists were also present at the ceremony. Dr. Jah highlighted that while the FTO is authorized by law to resolve cases within 60 days, decisions are currently being made in an average of 37 days to facilitate taxpayers.

He emphasized that FTO decisions are binding, and compliance from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is mandatory, with appeals against FTO decisions only permissible to the President of Pakistan. Notably, 98% of FTO decisions appealed to the President have been upheld.   Dr. Jah detailed steps taken to expand public and business community awareness regarding the FTO’s role, citing the increase in regional offices under his tenure.

He encouraged taxpayers to approach the FTO without fear for any grievances, adding that the FBR has instructed its officials to refrain from issuing notices or audit orders to complainants while their cases are under review. He also shared the resolution of a notable refund case worth Rs. 17.8 billion in 2021.   Earlier, KATI President Junaid Naqi addressed the gathering, expressing concern over increasing harassment of industrialists by FBR officials through unjustified notices and audits. He highlighted systemic issues, including delays in refunds and inefficiencies in the tax return submission process.  KATI’s Standing Committee Chairman Tariq Malik praised Dr. Jah’s proactive leadership, noting that complaints increased from 2,000 in 2021 due to enhanced trust from the business community.